ELIZABETH AND THE KING

      What would happen if President Trump hired Elizabeth Warren to raise his kids in the White House?  That's the basic premise of the "The King And I", the popular musical now playing at Miami's Arscht Center.  Things would get very weird the moment Liz started unpacking her bags. 
The show opened last night and plays through May 14th.

    Francesca and I enjoyed this latest version as the original was a Big Thing when we were kids. Yul Brenner, of course, played the King of Siam when it opened in 1951 on Broadway.  He returned to the role in occasional revivals for 34 years.
    Coconut Grove's Steve Dloogoff attended Brenner's final performance on September 30,1985. He told me it was an incredible evening.  Everyone knew lung cancer was about to kill him. Two months later the man who will forever be king was dead.

     Jose Llana plays the role now coming off Tony-award winning performances at Lincoln Center. Laura Michelle Kelly was excellent last night as the English governess, Anna.
The show is filled with lavish costumes, sets and music.  The Siamese version of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (a ballet) is worth the price of admission alone.

    

  My wife and I grew up in houses that had The King and I soundtrack playing incessantly.  We couldn't get "Getting to Know You" out of our heads if we tried. We know Anna and the King quite well and
enjoyed seeing them spar (and later dance) once more.
    You can see them too by visiting www.Arscht Center.com .  Tickets start at $29.  Tell the Donald and Elizabeth that the Grove Guy sent you.
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